


Never Let (It) Go

by boneswrites



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Cuddles, Episode Related, First Kiss, Getting Together, Hurt Steve McGarrett, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Missing Scene, Post-7x25, Post-Episode s07e25 Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono, Protective Danny "Danno" Williams, Season 7 finale, Worried Danny "Danno" Williams, radiation poisoning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 09:02:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10896093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boneswrites/pseuds/boneswrites
Summary: Missing scene set after Jerry’s party in 7x25.The conversation Steve and Danny had by the bathroom door prompts Danny to stay over, taking care of a worn out Steve when he has a bad night due to the radiation poisoning. Confessions and cuddles happen.





	Never Let (It) Go

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't resist. This is what I imagine happening after the party is over, and of course, another way for those two boys to get together. I hope you guys enjoy and feedback is always greatly appreciated! (The wait for season eight begins...)

Jerry’s party went by smoothly. Not that Danny noticed or engaged much. After Steve dropped the ‘oh by the way I have radiation poisoning’ line, _cupped his cheek_ and slowly walked—no, _limped_ —away, Danny’s vision had narrowed. He was so out of it, even little Charlie noticed something was up when he came out of the bathroom. Looking up at his father, he asked what’s wrong and Danny gave him a small smile, said everything is fine. His stomach flipped as soon as the words left his mouth, though, because was everything fine? Steve has been dealing with radiation poisoning for weeks now, he might as well have been dying, and he didn’t even tell Danny. And what was worst was that Danny didn’t notice that something was off about his partner.

Okay, that is a slight lie. Danny noticed something was off, but yet again, something is always off with that insane idiot. Still, nothing could stop Danny’s heart from sinking deep into his gut, and he couldn’t keep the overwhelming wave of guilt at rushed over him at bay.

He wondered, however, about how much Steve was actually telling him. He knew there was more to it, more that Steve wasn’t sharing. It might be that he doesn’t want to worry Danny, or that he’s just being the same old stubborn SEAL that he is. Or maybe both. What kind of future side effects, when, how do they deal with it…those were just a few questions running through Danny’s head as his eyes were glued on Steve the entire night. He looking slightly better than he did when he walked out of the bathroom, his cheeks had regained a little of their color and his was smiling but his eyes, the hazel eyes Danny loved so deeply for so long, they were tired and the detective could see how hard Steve was trying to not let it show.

Charlie fell asleep on Danny’s lap, and everyone started to leave, leaving Steve and Danny and the sleeping boy.

“Stay,” Steve whispers from his seat in the comfortable armchair.

Danny scoffs. “You’d be out of your mind if you think I’m leaving, Steven.”

“Put him down in the guest bedroom,” Steve says, pointing to Charlie.

Danny nods, getting to his feet and collecting his son in his arms. He walks through the house he knows by heart to the bedroom.

Danny finds Steve in the kitchen, bending down in front of the fridge to reach for a bottle of water. With the harsh fridge light illuminating Steve’s face, Danny could see so clearly how pale and sweaty he was.

Danny sighs, slightly shaking his head before going to Steve’s side. “You’re an idiot, McGarrett.” Danny wraps his hand around the bottle Steve is reaching for and tightens it around Steve’s hand that’s already on the bottle.

They pause, neither of them missing the jolt of electricity that both felt when their skin touched. Steve, ever so slowly, lifts his head and looks into Danny’s eyes. And what he sees, oh what he sees steals his breath. Comfort, worry, tenderness…

Steve swallows before opening his mouth. “I don’t…I thought you’d be angry.”

“Oh I am angry, I just think both of us are too tired to deal with my yelling right now,” Danny replies in a low voice.

Steve sucks in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. He draws back, losing the connection with Danny and he feels cold.

Danny recovers quickly, bringing out the water bottle and grabs two glasses. “Let’s go upstairs.”

It takes Steve longer than usual to climb the stairs of his house, probably the muscle weakness and overall fatigue he’s feeling. When they finally make it to Steve’s room without any incidents of toppling over, Steve starts walking to his bed but a hand on his arm stops him.

“How about a shower?” Danny suggests.

“I’m tired,” Steve sighs.

“I know, babe, but I think it will make you feel better.”

After a moment of calculation, Steve nods, letting Danny lead him to the bathroom.

Assuming Steve wouldn’t want him in the bathroom with him, Danny stops at the door. “Call out if you need me, okay?”

“Wait, Danny—” Steve calls out.

Danny turns out and sees how Steve is struggling with his words.

“Yeah, babe?”

“Can you—can you help me?” A slight blush settles in Steve’s cheeks, coloring them bright pink.

Danny smiles softly. “Of course.” He gets closer to Steve, a hand going up to cover his cheek, mirroring Steve’s earlier gesture and he feels the taller man lean into his touch. “You’re gonna be okay.”

“Yeah,” Steve whispers.

“Arms up, big guy.”

*****

After they’re done, Danny changes into sweats and a t-shirt he had left at Steve’s place while Steve gets ready for bed, as well. Danny quickly ducks into the next room to check on Charlie and comes back as Steve slides into bed.

“I’ll take the couch,” Danny announces, walking towards the two-person couch near the window.

“Danny…”

“You need your rest, Steve.”

“I won’t be able to sleep knowing you’re on that couch, come on…” Steve tries, patting the empty space beside him.

“Steve…”

“Please. I’ll sleep better if you’re next to him.”

Danny doesn’t move for a moment and then wills his feet to take the few steps towards Steve’s bed.

As soon as he’s on his back, Steve lunges for Danny, tucking his head under Danny’s neck, his arm going around Danny’s waist and it feels so _right_ , the way they fit together perfectly.

After a moment or two of hesitation, Danny’s arm goes around Steve’s shoulder, holds him close and tight, and they sink into each other.

“Your heart is racing,” Steve mumbles.

“Yeah, well what do you expect,” Danny retorts.

A few minutes pass by in silence, both men thinking the other drifted off when Danny speaks.

“You’ve been fine. You seemed fine. I knew something wasn’t right but…I never thought it was be this.”

“I know,” Steve sighs. “I was fine for a while.”

“And then what? You just got bad again all of a sudden?”

“Yes and no. I felt bad for the first week and then it went away, but then it comes back more severely than before. That’s what that doctor said,” Steve explains.

“You’ve known all this time…”

“Danny…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Steve closes his eyes, he can hear how much Danny was hurting in his voice. He swallows. “You’re already dealing with so much as it is, I didn’t want to add to that pile. I didn’t—”

“—want me to worry,” Danny continues Steve’s sentence.

“Yeah.”  
“That’s sweet of you, but the truth is that I worry about you all the time, Steve. Like today. I was worried out of my mind for you.”

“We had to save those girls, Danny.”

“I know, I know. I just…I just wish you could do the saving without putting your life in danger because…because I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”

“I’m fine, Danny, I’m right here,” Steve reassures his partner.

“Yeah, this time. But what about next time? What about the time it doesn’t work out? Losing you would crush me, Steven,” Danny’s voice breaks. “And it would crush my children, too.”

“I promise to do everything in my power to come back to you and to your beautiful children,” Steve tightens his arm around Danny’s body.

Danny takes it, because he knows that’s the best he’ll get out of Steve. He nods, moving his head so he can kiss the top of Steve’s head.

They slip into silence once again.

“You’re wrong, you know,” Danny breaks the silence.

“About what?”

“I’m not in love with Rachel. I help out because she’s the mother of my children and I know how hard it is for her to go through all of the divorce steps again, but no, she’s not the one my heart calls out for.”

“Then who is it?”

“Are you really that thick, Steven. I’m cuddling you in bed, for Christ’s sake.”

“And…”

“You’re gonna make me say it, aren’t you?” Danny sighs.

Steve lifts his head just enough to look into Danny’s eyes. “Why don’t you show me instead?”

Danny lowers his gaze to Steve’s face, letting his eyes roam over the SEAL’s features. Even in the darkness Danny could see the distinct sharp jaw line, his cheekbones, his round nose and beautiful lips. Danny unconsciously licks his own lips, his eyes flickering to Steve’s and then back to the hazel eyes. Steve’s eyes full of longing and promise and want, sparkling in the darkness, was all the invitation Danny needed to close to distance between them.

He captures Steve’s slightly chapped lips, pressing his lips against them gently at first and then feels Steve open up for him. The shorter man wastes no time in diving in, conquering and tasting every inch of Steve he could reach.

Steve’s hand climbs up Danny’s chest and settles in his hair, holding onto the back of the blond’s neck and giving as much as he was taking. And it was everything both of them had imagined it would be and so much more. It wasn’t awkward or clumsy, it was determined and expressive, Steve and Danny both pouring out everything they’ve felt and kept bottled up for so many years.

They pull back to fill their lungs with oxygen, their foreheads touching, both closing their eyes and taking each other’s everything in.

“Just promise me one thing,” Danny says, slightly panting.

“Anything,” Steve replies, catching his breath.

“No more hiding anything from each other. We tell each other everything, because together we can make it through anything, including this,” Danny opens his eyes and looks at Steve.

“Promise,” Steve whispers, leaning in once again and brushing his swollen lips against Danny’s identical ones.

“Good, now let’s get some rest.”

They settle back into their positions, Danny running a hand up and down Steve’s back and Steve plants a kiss to Danny’s neck.

“I love you, Danno.”

“I love you, too, babe.”

*****

It’s a little after four am when Danny wakes up with unease, his throat is dry and he reaches for the glass of water on his nightstand. And that’s when he feels the void next to him. He turns to find the space previously taken up by Steve to be empty. Forgetting about the water, Danny frowns.

“Steve?” He calls out.

The hot hole in his stomach getting bigger, sending heat up his spine. “Steve,” he tries again.

He kicks off the blanket and gets out of bed, stepping out of the room. Maybe Steve is checking on Charlie. Danny peeks his head into the guest bedroom and yeah, no Steve.

He walks back into the main bedroom and spots Steve’s phone on the nightstand. Okay, that’s something. And then he hears it. Movement in the bathroom. The light isn’t even switched on.

Danny knocks on the door. “Steve? You okay?”

“Fine,” Steve grumbles.

“You don’t sound like it. I’m coming in, okay?” Danny says, his hand wrapping around the doorknob.

Just as he was about to start arguing, another wave hits Steve and he’s quickly leaning over the toilet seat.

Danny hears Steve throwing up and he’s at his side a second later. “Oh God, Steve.”

Danny reaches for a towel and damps it with cold water from the sink, patting it cautiously over Steve’s forehead and neck. He holds it there, and has a steady hand on Steve’s shoulder when another wave hits and the SEAL spills his guts into the toilet.

When it passes, tired and spent, Steve falls backwards, right into Danny’s chest with his head against Danny’s shoulder.

“It’ll pass, you’re okay,” Danny soothes, continuing with the damp towel. He checks Steve’s forehead. “You’ve got a fever. Maybe we should go to the ER.”

“Danny, no, it’s fine. The doc said this would happen.”  
“Steve…” Danny warns.

“It’s okay, I promise. I just need to take the medicine.”

After a moment or assessment, Danny helps Steve to his feet and back to into bed. He grabs the pills and hands one to Steve, watching him swallow it down with water.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay, babe,” Danny says, kissing Steve’s temple.

Steve drifts off to sleep feeling safe in Danny’s arms.

*****

Steve’s in bed alone when he wakes up, the sun shinning through the windows and surpassing the blinds. He rubs his head and face, his stomach doesn’t feel as wobbly but he definitely feels a headache setting in.

He slowly gets up, his legs going over the side of the bed and he waits a minute or two before standing up, not wanting to cause himself dizziness. After a trip to the bathroom, he eases himself down the stairs and starts to hear a hushed conversation.

“Uncle Steve is not feeling the best, so take it easy on him, okay buddy?” Danny whispers to Charlie.

Charlie nods. “Is he sleeping?” He whispers back.

“Yeah, he is. We’ll take good of Uncle Steve, though, won’t we?”

“We will,” Charlie smiles.

“Uncle Steve is already feeling very spoiled,” Steve speaks up, a small smile on his face.

“Good morning, Uncle Steve,” Charlie says.

“Morning, buddy,” Steve takes the last two steps and walks over to the father and son sitting on the couch.

“Danno said you’re not feeling good but can you play with my cars and soldiers with me?”

“Sure thing, bud,” Steve nods.

Charlie smiles and skips off to find his backpack that’s filled with nothing but his toys. So much for having clothes in there for the (supposed) night over at Danny’s.

After making sure that Charlie isn’t approaching them, Steve leans in and places a soft kiss to Danny’s lips. “Morning.”

“Morning. How are you feeling?”

“A little better,” Steve says. “But I have Danno and Charlie looking after me, so I’m going to be a lot better.”

Charlie returns with his bag, unzipping it and dumping everything on the living room floor.

Steve chuckles while Danny shakes his head.

Charlie picks out his favorite from the huge pile and puts them on the table, close enough for Steve to reach.

“All right, you two, play nice while I make breakfast,” Danny says, standing up and ruffling Charlie’s hair before walking around the couch and into the kitchen.

Danny pauses, turning to watch Steve and Charlie interact, Steve playing with an Army soldier making Charlie giggle, and Danny's face breaks into a smile. It’s one of the most heartwarming things he’s ever seen, and he decides then and there, that whatever side effects will happen to Steve, he will always be right by his side. They'll face it together. Because he wants to be with Steve years from now, he wants to be with Steve for the rest of both their lives.

This is how it’s supposed to be. This is everything he’s ever wanted. And he plans to never let it go.


End file.
